What are the benefits of smartphone vs mobile web apps? [closed]

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Recently, I was asked what are the benefits of native android apps or iPhone apps over mobile browser-based applications. I get the impression that the similarities between Android apps and mobile browser apps are close and the feature gaps are minimal. Personally I am pro-Android. But if faced with the question (and ensuing argument), can it be said that really is the case ?

What are the defining attributes of smartphone application architecture that can be explained to the 开发者_JAVA技巧lay user to differentiate Android/iPhone from mobile browser-based web-apps as a preferred platform ?

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Web apps are likely to work on more devices, but native apps can take full advantage of native ui metaphors. Native apps can also work when the device is offline or temporarily offline. Web apps may lag while users prefer immediate feedback. Native apps can interact with device more fully for cameras, etc. Native apps also act in their own context under their own icon instead of in a web page.

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If you want to generate revenue from app sales, it is easier to go through an app marketplace/store where there is already often a pay-wall, rather than trying to get users to pay for a web-app. Also, real-time-graphics-intense applications like games are currently still better suited to native applications.

On the other hand, it is easier to make a cross-platform application if it is on the web. It is also easier to migrate an existing web-app to mobile platforms through a mobile-friendly web version, rather than by making a bunch of different native apps. Same goes for porting an existing mobile application to the web.

That being said, the interfaces will feel more normal to users if they use native elements, rather than hyperlinks for example. I think we can all agree that the enjoyment of browsing the web is still questionable on small mobile devices (for the most part).

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I'm a big fan of using the mobile web for apps if you aren't going to be relying on revenue from app sales.

There is a lot of development going on right now (see jQuery Mobile) to allow developers to quickly and easily write native feeling mobile web apps that mimic the UIs common to iOS/Android/etc. In addition, frameworks like PhoneGap allow web apps to use native APIs such as geolocation and the camera.

On most mobile operation systems, you can add a mobile web app as a native icon, so I don't see this being a downfall. Also, being able to work offline is also doable on the mobile web with HTML5 local storage and other similar solutions.

Overall, I think the largest benefit from a mobile web app is not having to write multiple native versions of your app. This takes a great deal of time/resources and offers little benefit in my opinion unless you are relying on app sales or writing an intense game, as Chris mentioned.

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There are plenty of things that currently can't be done well or at all with web apps, usually apps involving access to hardware IO, and (near)real-time processing of audio, graphics or lots of data.

These type of apps might including things such as: audio processing for the hearing impaired, music visualizers, DJ apps, performance music synthesizers and guitar effects, virtual reality type camera video processing and overlays, high-frame-rate 3D action games, and etc.

And for similar tasks, native apps are usually easier on battery life compared to web apps.